Manson happy with Wick strength in depth after opening victory over Fraserburgh
Manager Gary Manson declared that “our strength in depth is there for all to see” after Wick Academy began their 2024/25 Highland League campaign with an outstanding 2-0 win against Fraserburgh.
Well-taken goals by Gary Pullen, on the half-hour mark, and Ross Gunn, with a couple of minutes to go, gave the Scorries their first opening-day victory since 2016.
Last season Academy started with a 4-0 loss at Banks O’ Dee and won only one of their first six league fixtures.
“It’s just completely night and day to what it was at the start of last year,” Manson said after Saturday’s encounter at Harmsworth Park.
“For the first game last year we were going down the road with, I think, 13 players and two of them were under-18s.
“I looked behind me [today] and I had seven subs that could easily have started the game. You’re putting them on as fresh legs and there’s no diminishing the quality that’s on the park. That’s the biggest difference.
“We finished strongly because we could take five players that are fresh, that are quality, to go and finish the game. I’ve been quite big on that in pre-season – it’s all one big squad and, game to game, anybody could start and you wouldn’t notice a drop-off in quality.
“It’s probably the first time since I’ve been here as manager that we’ve had 21 players that could all start. In years gone by, no disrespect to the young boys, but you’ve always had two or three under-18s that are just in making up the numbers – but now our strength in depth is there for all to see.
“Fraserburgh had their moments, but they’re a top team – they’re always going to have their moments. It’s about managing those moments, and we did. I don’t think anybody could deny that we deserved that win.”
Academy took the lead on 30 minutes when Richard Macadie’s delivery from wide on the right was cleverly hooked in by Pullen.
Gunn made sure of the points in the 89th minute when he broke clear, kept his composure, and beat keeper Edward Flinn at the second attempt.
Shortly before Gunn’s goal, Wick’s two Orkney-based summer recruits, Callan Jessiman and George Ewing, had linked up well in another counter-attack after both came off the bench. Jessiman’s inch-perfect diagonal pass sent Ewing one-on-one with Flinn but his shot drifted narrowly wide.
Manson said: “That was two boys coming on, full of quality, full of energy, and that’s the reason we got that chance. Nine times out of 10, George finishes that.”
He added: “We’re off to a good start, but that’s all it is – it’s just a good start. That one’s in the bag and now we just move on to the next one.”
Academy travel to take on Huntly at Christie Park this weekend.
Fraserburgh manager Mark Cowie admitted his team didn’t do enough to take anything from the match.
“We never got going from the word go,” Cowie said. “Saying that, we had enough chances to win the game twice. It was just a lack of composure.
“I think Wick had three shots on goal and scored two. Sometimes you get games like that.
“We were going for it, we were going for an equaliser, but we weren’t brave enough. All pre-season we’ve looked good on the ball but today for some reason we didn’t want to get on it.
“We were hesitant and we didn’t deserve to take anything from the game. We weren’t at it. We should have scored two or three but we didn’t.
“Rather than dealing with it and getting on with it and putting the frustration to the side and being together, we started playing as individuals. We started making wrong decisions and it was just a frustrating afternoon.
“There were flurries of okay play but nothing consistent.”
Fraserburgh have a home match against Deveronvale this weekend.
Cowie added: “The good thing is we're three points off the top. But it’s a difficult first game. Obviously I wanted a better result but we didn’t deserve it.
“You’ve got to take it on the chin and try to improve for next week.”
Highland League results: Brora Rangers 5, Turriff United 0; Deveronvale 0, Inverurie Locos 2; Formartine United 0, Banks O’ Dee 2; Forres Mechanics 0, Rothes 3; Huntly 5, Strathspey Thistle 0; Keith 1, Brechin City 3; Lossiemouth 0, Clachnacuddin 2; Wick Academy 2, Fraserburgh 0.
Highland League fixtures for Saturday, August 3: Banks O’ Dee v Lossiemouth; Clachnacuddin v Keith; Fraserburgh v Deveronvale; Huntly v Wick Academy; Inverurie Locos v Buckie Thistle; Nairn County v Brechin City; Rothes v Formartine United; Strathspey Thistle v Brora Rangers; Turriff United v Forres Mechanics (all 3pm).
Wednesday, August 7: Brechin City v Inverurie Locos; Buckie Thistle v Fraserburgh; Clachnacuddin v Nairn County; Deveronvale v Huntly; Formartine United v Turriff United; Forres Mechanics v Brora Rangers; Keith v Banks O’ Dee; Lossiemouth v Rothes; Wick Academy v Strathspey Thistle (all 8pm).
Wick Academy have been handed an away tie against Huntly in round one of the Highland League Cup on Saturday, November 9. Turriff United are involved in one of two preliminary round matches on September 14, which means a new date will have to be found for the Wick v Turriff league match originally scheduled for that date.
Highland League Cup preliminary round (ties to be played on September 14): Brora Rangers v Turriff United; Strathspey Thistle v Clachnacuddin.
Round one (ties to be played on November 9): Brechin City v Inverurie Locos; Buckie Thistle v Strathspey Thistle or Clachnacuddin; Fraserburgh v Forres Mechanics; Huntly v Wick Academy; Keith v Brora Rangers or Turriff United; Lossiemouth v Deveronvale; Nairn County v Banks O’ Dee; Rothes v Formartine United.
